Dylan
Dylan
When you speak, you’re fighting
At a young age, Dylan noticed he had certain behaviors that were different than others. He often spent time lining up all of his toys and could not leave a room before switching a light switch on and off numerous times.
Certain numbers felt warm to me, and certain numbers felt cold. This ended up dictating a lot of my behaviors. Regulating them gave me comfort.
Having grown up in a low-income neighborhood with high crime rates, mental health was not often a topic at the forefront of discussion. Due to this, Dylan felt the need to appear tough and deal with his behaviors silently. This became harder to do as he became an adult.
It was really tiresome. I got to a point where I was constantly working to fight the compulsions, and it made me feel physically and mentally paralyzed.
Still without an official diagnosis, Dylan felt shame and confusion around what he was going through, but he was able to find solace through his singing-songwriting career.
In 2013, his father was diagnosed with cancer, and Dylan’s compulsions began to cause a lot of turmoil in his life. Dylan began to face worsening anxiety and depression, leading to suicidal thoughts. It was at this point that Dylan made the conscious decision to prioritize taking care of himself.
I had to make a choice between life and death. I chose life, and then a fork in the road appeared. I had to ask myself, ‘Do I get help or not?’
“It’s okay to talk, or even yell or curse. When you speak, you’re fighting. You should not be ashamed to communicate that you need help.”
After some time of self-reflection, Dylan felt ready to confront the root of his depression head-on. In 2019, he started therapy and received a formal diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
Therapy has been transformative for me and my life, and I have an everyday commitment to make for the betterment of myself. It is the ultimate commitment to keep your mind, body, and soul in shape.
Healing comes when you’re 100% self-reflective and make the commitment to better yourself.
While treatment has not always been perfectly linear for Dylan, he has always looked to music as his outlet of expression. In 2022, he shared one of his songs on a popular platform and it went viral. Since then, Dylan has amassed a substantial following on the app through sharing more of his music and his story.
He has also discovered a love and talent for writing poetry. He has since signed with a label to further his music career, has a poetry book being published, and has a Top 40 single on the pop charts.
Dylan continues to use his music, poetry, and social media platform to share his journey and inspire others along the way.
I want to help inspire anyone to persevere. Your diagnosis does not dictate your life, and people with OCD can live normal lives.
Through his social media platform, Dylan was able to reclaim his story and create a space for others who are struggling to speak up.
It’s okay to talk, or even yell or curse. When you speak, you’re fighting. You should not be ashamed to communicate that you need help.
